Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-06
Laylng the Corner stone.


The laying of the corner stone OF the
Los Angeles University is matter Of SO
vital Importance, that the HERALD pro-
poses to give little more space to the
event than 1t has found room for here
tofore. The preliminary work Of this
enterprise has been reported in these
columns step by step as they haye taken
place. The plan proposes the erection
Of four large buildings on beautiful
site in the western portion of the city.
The foundation Of the first is laid. The
area covered by this building is 64xS4
feet. The building will be very pic
turesque one.
At the laying of the corner stone the
following was the program:
Invocation-Rev. w. IL. Pendleton.
d. D.. Los Angeles.
Music.
Oration-Rev. Chas. Button. River
side.
History of the Works. l. Merrill,
Los Angeles.
Poem-Rev. H. G. Bristol, Los Ange-
les.
Laying of the Corner Stone-Rev. j..
w. Parker and Rev. p. w. Dorsey, Los
Angeles.
| Doxology. Benediction.
The exercises were opened by the
choir of the Baptist church rendering
the Coronation" hymn.
Il After the Invocotion Rev. Chas. But.
ton, ID. D., delivered the address which
outlines the purposes of the institution.
Some of these are:
Among the great scientific discoveries
of the last half century is that of the
conservation and correlation of physical
; forces. 1t was only at the close of the
last century that the conclusion was
reached that matter was indistructible-
and this age will be memorable in his.
tory for having demonstrated that the
same great principle applies to the ply.
sical forces of nature. That sight, that
sound, electricity and magnetism, are
! correlated. have an independent and
substantial existence in the great reser.
voirs of the universe. and are evoked
and return again. Though former ages
were never purely speculative, it was
conceived that more thought could solve
the abstruse problems of nature about
. us. By one who was distinguished IN.
. ciently for experiment and demonstra-
tion, it was thought that the heavenly
bodies were moved along in their courses
, by solid crystalline spheres. Then
again it was explained by the complex
8 and mobile mechanism of epicycles.
!. Again Descartes proposed this action of
ethereal currents which twisted in evolu-
tions about the heavenly bodies. Then
. came Newton, who substituted the act.
ion of an universal, immaterial force;
and this, in its logical result, connected
! the mind of man with the spirit of God.
Education is Of great power in drifting
natural sentiment in mankind in ths
) direction of Celestial current iuto
i communication with the spirit Of the
+ Creator. Christianity lifted the black
pail of darkness from three.fourths Of
the known world; had been instrumen.
q tai in educating the masses, and was
the prime mover at the inception OF the
idea of establishing institutions OF learn.
ing, on a pattern after which had been
> designed the University. 1t was only
about seven centurits since that unlver.
E stiles were inaugurated. The grea,
g school at Oxford in England dates back
, centuries. That gigantic institution was
first started in lilo in miserable barn
8 or stable. Harvard, pride of America,
. started in very humble way.
s. l. Merrill, Secretary Of the Board
of Trustees of the College, read an ac
count of the inception and progress Of
: the work of founding the University oi
n Los Angeles.
). The Building Committee, after adver
= ;. tising for bids for the construction o
!. the building, received the following
: : which were accepted: r. L. Bell, bricl
work, $4l50; j. II. Ledbetter, carpenter
work. hardware and glass, $Sl25; iror
!, cresting, Sl75, s. M. Perry, plumbing
8 timing and sewer, $llS5; Thomas
A Sons, painting, etc., $766; Harry Par
sons. plastering, cement floor, etc.,
$500. Total, Sl6,20l.
. Rev. Fl. G. Bristol read an original
poem Of high degree of merit.
The laying of the corner stone-a
huge marble block, four feet by two feet
s donated to the college by the Victor
t Marble Company, and bearing the in.
1 scription university of Los Angeles,
, 1881" was then laid. The stone is al
the corner Of an angle on the northwest.
!. orn corner of the main hall and down
the steps to it had to be assisted the
venerable DR.. Parker. The gentleman.
though seriously indisposed; insisted on
Q being present at the exercises as at first
t arranged. Quickly those attending had
s. grouped about the stone, and as it wa.
lowered to its long resting place. the
q feeble accents of Mr.. Parker invoking the
. blessing of the Diety on the work could
be distinctly heard, so quiet was tn,
throng about him. Rev. DR.. Gregory
pronounced the benediction; the choi
sang the Doxology and the exercises